NOVEL NEXT Chapter 498: Various Forces
To the southeast of Pasu Valley, another Loen military squad was similarly ambushed by armed forces led by a member of the Rose School of Thought.
However, this squad was far weaker compared to the one led by Princess Vera. They failed to repel the enemy and were instead routed, forcing them to scatter and flee in different directions.
Colonel Lloyd, his face concealed behind a "golden mask," relied on his formidable strength as a Disciplinary Paladin to carve a path through a barrage of over ten high-pressure steam rifle shots, eventually breaking free from the encirclement.
After confirming that he had shaken off his pursuers, Lloyd finally breathed a sigh of relief. While marveling at his luck—none of the bullets had hit any of his vital points—he oriented himself and began heading toward Daniel Valley.
What Lloyd didn't know was that seven or eight bullets, which were about to strike his vital areas, had been blocked by a thin layer of frost, sparing him from critical injuries.
After he disappeared into the distance, two alluring and scantily clad figures emerged from thin air at the spot where Lloyd had just been standing.
They were none other than the Saintess of White Katarina and Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy.
Although it was already November, the weather in the Southern Continent was the opposite of the Northern Continent, still oppressively hot.
"Are you sure he'll lead us to the military's true objective?" Tracy asked, her gaze following the direction in which Lloyd had fled.
"You should address me as 'Mother' first. That's the bare minimum of proper etiquette," Katarina turned her head slightly, casting a playful glance at her daughter. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she replied with a faint smile, "If the information you extracted from him that day is accurate… then yes, I'm certain."
Tracy's face instantly turned red with both shame and anger. Glaring at her mother, her voice trembled with rage as she said, "You were the one who controlled my body to do that! It wasn't of my own free will!"
"Heh, I was merely demonstrating how to act like a proper witch. Besides, I didn't actually let him succeed, did I?" Katarina chuckled softly, covering her mouth. Seeing Tracy's expression still clouded with embarrassment and anger, she continued in her melodious, almost song-like voice, "Tormenting yourself in pain is actually good for you.
"Pity that as soon as you regained control of your body, you shoved that colonel away… Tsk tsk, his expression at that moment was absolutely priceless."
"Stop it!" Tracy snapped, cutting her mother off. She took a deep breath, attempting to change the subject. "Do you think what he said that day about eventually regrouping can be trusted?"
"Under the influence of my 'ecstasy,' there's no way he could've lied," Katarina said, her face radiating a saintly glow of purity.
"Then… before we catch up to him, can you finally share your guesses about the military's objectives? When you investigated the military's laboratories, you said you had some ideas, but you didn't tell me. If I don't understand the specifics, I won't rush into action again—there could be enormous risks involved!" Tracy glanced at her mother, who had shifted from her coquettish charm to a sweetly playful demeanor, and asked with a serious expression.
"Call me 'Mother,' and I'll tell you," Katarina replied with a soft laugh, seemingly unbothered by her daughter's tone.
Tracy hesitated for a few seconds, wrestling internally, before finally giving in with an air of resignation. "Mother," she said, her voice dripping with reluctance.
After what happened that day, I swore I'd never acknowledge her again… I'm so spineless! No… this is just a temporary measure to find Helene's whereabouts, Tracy thought to herself, repeatedly trying to justify her choice.
Noticing her daughter's inner turmoil, Katarina nodded in satisfaction. Yes, this is exactly the state of mind a Demoness of Affliction should have.
With that, the ageless witch—over a millennium old—used her soft, mesmerizing voice to explain:
"Nearly three months ago, an incident involving the 'Demoness of Affliction' pathway occurred in Backlund. During this incident, the Church of the Storms lost a 'Grade 1' Sealed Artifact… specifically, the one formed by the Sequence 3 trait of the 'Prisoner' pathway, the 'Disciple of Silence.' The artifact's designation is '1-025.'"
"A Sealed Artifact formed from the 'Disciple of Silence'... Is it a 'Cursed Object'?" Tracy asked, visibly surprised. This was her first time hearing about the incident. At the time, she had still been the "Plague Maiden," wandering between the Northern Continent and East Bayam's sea routes, paying little attention to events on land.
The 'Disciple of Silence' was also known as the 'Cursed Object,' a term more familiar to witches skilled in curses.
"Exactly." Katarina nodded as she crouched down, picking up a rock stained with Lloyd's blood. She continued, "That cursed object eventually ended up in the hands of the military. However, instead of returning it, they defied the pressure from the Church of the Storms and kept it for themselves."
"The military's elaborate deployment of so many 'decoys' this time is likely to ensure the safe transport of '1-025' to the Southern Continent. They plan to use it to unlock Daniel's treasure."
Hearing this, Tracy furrowed her long, straight brows and asked in confusion, "Who is Daniel? And why is the Rose School of Thought so determined to contend with the military for his treasure?"
"The Rose School likely isn't after the treasure itself; they just don't want Loen to succeed. After all, Daniel was once a member of the Rose School of Thought, and there are rumors that he was even a disciple of the Chained God. Moreover, '1-025' is the Sealed Artifact formed from his Beyonder characteristic after his death," Katarina explained, her voice taking on a dreamy quality as if lost in reminiscence.
"Speaking of Daniel, he was quite a prominent figure several centuries ago—elegant, knowledgeable, and extraordinarily charismatic. He didn't resemble the image of a prisoner at all... I only met him once. Pity we didn't have the chance to delve deeper into conversation," she sighed wistfully.
Tracy, thoroughly uninterested in her mother's nostalgia, interrupted bluntly, "And what exactly is his treasure?"
"During one of his explorations, Daniel seemed to have uncovered an incredible secret. In the end, he was forced to flee back to the Southern Continent and hide that secret. However, I'm unclear on what that secret actually was or how he ultimately met his demise...
"Oh, by the way, over a hundred years ago, Roselle visited the Southern Continent in his later years in search of Daniel's treasure. No one knows what he found, but it's assumed he didn't succeed," Katarina added.
Restoring her saintly demeanor, she smiled slightly and asked, "So, after hearing all this, are you interested in joining me to uncover the secret that led to the death of a Saint?
"You must have noticed by now that the demigods are all preoccupied with countering each other. At most, our opponents will only be at Sequence 5.
"Once we understand what that secret is, perhaps I'll even take you to catch a glimpse of that little 'Hunter' girl from afar. What do you think?"
Tracy immediately fell into a conflicted silence, while Katarina's lips curled into a knowing smirk.
...
In an underground facility about a hundred miles away from Xio's squad, Edwina was sitting cross-legged, nibbling on dry rations that Ebner had prepared as she slowly recovered the spirituality she had expended during their journey while "invisible."
This temporary underground facility had been created by the Vice Admiral Iceberg using simulated earth-element spells. Edwina's expertise in architecture was evident as the space she carved out was both hidden and comfortable, complete with ventilation. It left Ebner clicking his tongue in amazement.
Although Ebner could also use similar spells when transformed into a giant bear using "Lilith's Tears," he was nowhere near as skilled as Edwina.
Of course, even if he could do it, he wouldn't. Stripping off his clothes to transform into a bear in front of Vice Admiral Iceberg? That would be far from "polite"...
Once I become a Mysticism Magister, I absolutely need to develop a "Mansion Spell" or something similar. Traveling wouldn't feel so miserable, he mused, letting his thoughts wander as he activated "Pure White Eye" to sense the position of Xio through the Doctor Strange Card.
"They've turned south... Their destination is likely Daniel Valley.
"The same Daniel Valley where the Finks Lion was sighted.
"Edwina, it seems your guess was correct. The military's true destination appears to be there—they're regrouping," Ebner concluded.
Not feeling in top shape...
Finally starting to resolve the plot thread around '1-025.'
(End of Chapter)